Marshmallow Balls

My nieces and nephew, Cameron, Jayden, and Ashlyn, came over today for cooking classes. Popcorn balls were on our list today. I found these cool strawberry/vanilla marshmallows at Walmart in the Mexican food section. The taste of strawberry with peppermint was pretty good when we finished. At the beginning of our popcorn making session Ashlyn and Jayden had to try the marshmallows out and they passed their inspection.So we put the whole bag into the pot with the margarine and Ashlyn watched it melt. She knew when they were ready so she added the popcorn to the gooey marshmallows. Then I stirred them up. The marshmallow balls turned out to be a pretty pink color. Next I crushed some candy canes that I had saved from an after Christmas sale in the blender and we were ready to make our popcorn balls. Because the marshmallow balls were hot I made the balls first and then let the children handle them when they were cool. The marshmallow balls are very sticky so we sprayed their little hands with PAM. It worked really well to keep the marshmallow balls from sticking to their hands and the children thought it was great.
Next the children rolled the marshmallow balls in the crushed peppermint candy. The candy part of this was a hit with them. The marshmallow balls were now covered with a fine coating of peppermint. I had a piece of waxed paper ready for the children to put their popcorn balls on.Eating the popcorn balls was the best part. Cameron rated them as a 10 on a scale from 1 to 10.

1 pound bag of marshmallows (I used the El Mexicano Strawberry-Vanilla marshmallows from Walmart)
1/4 cup butter
3 quarts of popped popcorn
3 (3 to 4 inch) hard-candy sticks, crushed (peppermint candy canes)

Heat marshmallows and butter in top of double boiler or over low heat until melted and smooth. Pour over popcorn and mix well. Let stand several minutes before forming into balls. Roll in crushed candy. Makes 12 balls.

Fortune Cookies

Jonathan came home one day when he was 12 with a fortune cookie recipe written in his own hand. I kept the memory of this moment by preserving the recipe as he wrote it. The cookies were fun for him to make and I hope you will have as much fun opening the fortunes.

1/2 cup of melted butter
3 egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup of flour
1 tsp of vanilla
2 Tbs water

Materials
a pencil and paper
sissors
a large bowl
a saucepan
measuring cups and spoons
a cookie sheet
a clean empty egg carton
a spatula


Mix egg whites, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Then one at a time stir in flour, vanilla, butter, and water. Put batter in fridge for 30 minutes then preheat oven to 350. Write 48 fortunes. Grease cookie sheet and take batter out of the refrigerator. Put 2 tsp of batter on cookie sheet and spread into 2 small circles. Repeat until 48 cookies are made. Cook 3 to 5 minutes ot until edges turn brown. Fold (with fortune) while still soft. Put in egg carton.

Caramel Corn in the Microwave

Some great recipes you can find in the newspaper. I found this recipe in the Salt Lake Deseret News. This is my favorite way to make caramel corn...in the microwave. It is quick and easy and not so messy because you use a large paper bag to mix the popcorn with the caramel. My children loved helping me shake the bag. I like to use peanuts for the nuts.

1 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter or margarine
1/4 cup white corn syrup
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
4 cups popped corn
12 ounces of nuts

Combine ingredients except soda, nuts, and popcorn in a 1 1/2 to 2 quart microwave safe dish. Bring to a boil, then cook on full powder for 2 minutes. Remove from microwave and stir in soda.

Put popped corn in a large brown paper bag (grocery sack). Pour syrup over popcorn, Close the bag and shake. Cook in the bag on high in the microwave for 1 1/2 minutes. Shake and cook another 1 1/2 minutes. (May need another 1 1/2 minutes.) Pour into pan and allow to cool. If you use nuts, add to popcorn in the bag before adding the syrup.

Jeweled Popcorn Lollipops

This is a great recipe to use for birthday party favors. Put a clear plastic bag over the lollipop and send it home with the children.

8 cups popped popcorn
3 Tbs butter or margarine
3 cups miniature marshmallows
lollipops
small gumdrops, diced

Melt butter in saucepan over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Pour mixture over popped corn and stir until well coated. With buttered fingers, shape still-warm mixture around lollipops. Press gum-drop pieces onto popcorn.

Mother Goose Popcorn

This is a quick and easy recipe using a brown paper bag. Give the bag to your child and let them help you mix the popcorn. They will delight in helping you cook.

1 cup of sugar
3 Tbs. water
1 Tbs butter
1 tsp vanilla
4 drops of red food coloring

Boil sugar, water, and butter for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add vanilla and food coloring. Place popcorn in a large brown paper bag and pour sugar mixture over the top. Shake the bag until well coated.

Edible Easter Baskets

I made these fun Easter Baskets when my children were little. They are fun for the kids to help make because they are so easy.

2 Tbs. margarine
2 Cups mini marshmallows

Heat and stir until smooth. Add

4 cups chow mein noodles

Drop spoonfuls on a cookie sheet into balls. Form nest by pressing down centers and rounding edges. (Grease hands first). Sprinkle green colored coconut in the center and add jelly beans for eggs.